TY - JOUR
T1 - Profiling bacterial communities in low biomass samples
T2 - Pitfalls and considerations
AU - Stinson, Lisa F.
AU - Keelan, Jeffrey A.
AU - Payne, Matthew S.
PY - 2019/11
Y1 - 2019/11
N2 - Bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies are popular across many fields of biology. This technique has allowed us to study bacterial communities like never before, leading to significant insights into microbial ecology and host- microbe interactions. However, 16SrRNAgene-based workflows are vulnerable to confounding and bias at every step. Many studies are plagued by entrenched methodological errors, producing data riddled with experimental artefacts. These issues are amplified in the study of low bacterial biomass samples, such as forensic and ancient samples, blood, meconium, ice and the built environment. It is, therefore, necessary to define the pitfalls of low biomass 16S rRNA gene-based work flows and to identify methods that may allow more accurate characterisation of bacterial communities in such samples.
AB - Bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies are popular across many fields of biology. This technique has allowed us to study bacterial communities like never before, leading to significant insights into microbial ecology and host- microbe interactions. However, 16SrRNAgene-based workflows are vulnerable to confounding and bias at every step. Many studies are plagued by entrenched methodological errors, producing data riddled with experimental artefacts. These issues are amplified in the study of low bacterial biomass samples, such as forensic and ancient samples, blood, meconium, ice and the built environment. It is, therefore, necessary to define the pitfalls of low biomass 16S rRNA gene-based work flows and to identify methods that may allow more accurate characterisation of bacterial communities in such samples.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85075674256&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1071/MA19053
DO - 10.1071/MA19053
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85075674256
SN - 1324-4272
VL - 40
SP - 181
EP - 185
JO - Microbiology Australia
JF - Microbiology Australia
IS - 4
ER -